Territory



' (No Model.)

w. 1). WILLIAMS.

GAR QQUPLING.

No. 472,840. 7 Patented Apr.. 12', 1892.

N TE STATES PATENT OFFICEO WILLIAM D. WILLIAMS, or OGDEN, UTAH'TERRITORY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,840, dated April 12, 1892.

Application filed November 3, 1891. Serial No. 410,748. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. WILLIAMs, of Ogden, in the county of WVeber and Territory of Utah, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplers, and has for its object to provide a car-coupler capable of automatically coupling and of a simple and durable construc tion.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the draw-head that when coupled with another of its kind the two heads will ride together in a proper manner and wherein they will not separate even under exceedingly heavy lateral strain, and wherein, also, the draw-head may be employed to couple with a link-and-pin coupling when necessary.

The invention consists in the novel c011- struction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a drawhead constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of two drawheads, illustrating them in their coupled position. Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken through one of the heads and a partial side elevation; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of two opposed couplers about to be united, illustrating the construction which prevents them from swaying laterally.

The draw-head is of peculiar shape, the upper surface being flat and the rear wall 11 of said surface somewhat perpendicular, the said wall extending, preferably upward, beyond the draw-bar12. In the fiat upper surface 10 a vertical chamber 13 is formed, extending some distance downward, but not through the head, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In the bottom of this chamber a spring 1a is located, and above the spring a shaft'15 is journaled in the draw-head, passing through the chamber 13, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The-shaft 15 carries a link 16, one member of the link being secured to the shaft within the chamber 13 and the other end outside of the draw-head, the attachment between the In order that the link may drop downward,

so that its outer end will be essentially flush with the upper surface 10, the forward wall of the chamber 13 is cut away, forming a step 17, upon which the link rests when in position for engagement with an opposed coupler. The linkis elevated by turning the shaft 15, which shaft may be manipulated from the sides of the car through the medium of crank-arms or from the top by means of any approved mechanism.

The upper portion of the front end of the draw-head is inclined intermediate of its sides, as illustrated at 18 in the drawings, and the central part of the inclined surface is laterally stepped, as is best shown at 19 in Fig. 4. Thus one side of the draw-head at the top is shorter than the other and the end of the shorter side is essentially straight, While the end of the longer side is somewhat tapering. Upon the upper surface of the longer side of the draw-head a spur 20 is produced, the outer face of which spur is tapered. Thus, owing to the above-described formation of the upper portion of the draw-head, what may be termed an upper prong B is formed and a second prong B projects from the opposite side of the front end of the draw-head at or about the center thereof, which prong at its outer end is somewhat outwardly curved at its outer side and beveled upon its inner side,-

The link apertures in these two latter prongs being in Thus if the coupler is to vertical alignment. be used to couple with an opposed draw-head of the link-and pin type the pin may be made 1 to enter any of the apertures, and thus effect a coupling.

In the operation of coupling the link is drawn down to the horizontal position, ex- As tending over the intermediate prong B. the two draw-heads approach, the intermediate prongs will enter the space between the upper and lower prongs B and B and the link of each coupler will ride up over the spur 20 "of the opposed coupler and fall down rearward of said spurs-upon the surfaces 10 of the draw-heads, as shown in Fig. 2, .thus'cffecting a firm and secure lock. To nncouple, the shafts 15 are manipulated in such a manner as to throw the'links 16 upward, and thereby release them from the opposed draw-heads. The stepped surfaces 19, asillustrated in Figs. 2 and a, effectually prevent the draw-heads when coupled from having too free lateral movement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a carcoupler, a draw -head having formed at its outer end three prongsan upper, a lower, and an intermediate prongthe intermediate prong extending in an opposite direction from the upper and'lower prongs,a.

' sh'aftjournaled in the draw-head, a link attached to the shaft, and a locking device having a bearing against the link, as and for the purpose specified.

In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head having three prongs formed at its outer endan upper, a lower, and an. intermediate prong the intermediate prong extending in an opposite direction from the upper and lower prongs, of a shaft journaled in the draw-head, a link secured to the shaft at one end and extending at the other over one of the prongs, and a spring locking device located in the draw-headand bearing against the link, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head having three prongs formed upon its outer endan upper, a lower, and an intermediate onethe intermediate prong extending in a direction opposite to the others and the upper prong having a beveled spur formed upon its end surface, of a shaft journaled in the draw-head, a spring located beneath, the shaft, and a link secured to the shaft, one end of which link has a bearing against the spring, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head having formed upon its outer end three pr0ngsan upper, a lower, and an intermediate onethe intermediate prong extending in a direction opposite to the others, all the prongs being provided with pin-apertures and the upper prong with a beveled spur, the upper end surface of the draw-head near the upper prong being laterally stepped, of a shaft journaled in the draw-head and passing through a chamber formed therein,-a spring located within the chamber of the.drawhead, a link secured to the shaft and capable of extending outward over the intermediate prong, an inner end of which link has a hearing against the said spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' WILLIAM D. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

J os. W. MUSSER, JAcoB SoHnL'rHEss. 

